Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham has rejected claims the previous government failed to prepare the defence force for challenges in the region.
After Defence Minister Richard Marles announced a review of whether the ADF is equipped to meet future challenges, Senator Birmingham said it had not been any Australian government that had contributed to increased tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
One of the people heading up the review, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said the current strategic circumstances had been the "worst I have ever seen in my career and lifetime".
Senator Birmingham denied the former coalition government had contributed to the circumstances.
"Angus Houston was reflecting on the security environment we face within our region, it wasn't any Australian government - Labor, Liberal or otherwise - who created a rise in military activity across the region," he told ABC radio on Thursday.
"(Mr Houston's comment) was on the tensions we face in the region, the build up in relation to the South China Sea, all of those issues, and of course, the rise in autocracies."
Senator Birmingham defended the previous government's record on defence preparedness, highlighting its role in increasing defence spending and the creation of the AUKUS security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom.
"We invested in relationships in the region to enhance security," he said.
"The security relationships, the defence investment, the procurement activities we undertook were indeed very significant during the nine years of government."
Former Labor defence minister Stephen Smith will also head the review.
The review will be the first of its kind since 2012, and will be done alongside the consultation process for the AUKUS agreement on which nuclear submarines Australia will acquire under the pact.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton likened the review to "putting a gorilla on the back of Phar Lap" as he criticised the former defence minister.
"Stephen Smith, who's a nice bloke, was probably the worst defence minister since federation," he told 2GB.
"He slashed money from defence like there was no tomorrow ... it's a real concern."
Mr Marles told reporters Labor would not cut back on defence spending going forward in government.
Senator Birmingham also pledged to increase his engagement in the Pacific region after criticism the former government did not do enough in the lead up to the Solomon Islands signing a security pact with China.
Asked about regrets from government, the senator told AAP he preferred to "look forward rather than backwards".
"I welcome the fact the new government is using the increased medium-term climate change targets as a point for even closer co-operation and dialogue with Pacific island nations," he said.
"That's an important pillar as part of ongoing discussions there and I'll be looking to make sure that where possible we build on that in our own policy settings."
He defended the actions of the former prime minister and foreign minister in how they handled relations with the Solomons and the Pacific more broadly.
"Climate change policy is important to Pacific island nations. I know that Scott Morrison engaged closely with Pacific island nations as did Marise Payne and about (our) commitment to net zero by 2050," he said.
"But of course, I would always expect Pacific island nations to welcome further steps."
Australian Associated Press
